Trump has been doing everything in his power to kill the ACA, but the American people spoke loudly when 8.8 million* (11 million and counting in update) of them defied his sabotage and signed up.
On Wednesday, Trump falsely claimed that Obamacare was repealed:
Trump said, “I hate to say this, but we essentially repealed Obamacare because we got rid of the individual mandate which was terrible. And that was a primary source of funding for Obamacare.â€
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Somebody better tell the American people that the law is gone, because 8.8 million people signed up for marketplace plans.
NBC News reported, “About 8.8 million people signed up for insurance on the federal health care exchange during Obamacare’s latest open enrollment period, a senior health official announced on Thursday. The number — which topped expectations — was down only modestly from last year’s 9.2 million signups despite an enrollment period that was half as long, a 90 percent cut by the Trump administration in federal advertising for the program, and a tumultuous year in which Congress repeatedly tried to replace the law and the president cut off cost-sharing reduction payments (CSRs) to insurers.”
The running joke among some Republicans is that everything Trump touches dies, so it is ironic that his touch of death is failing to work on Obamacare. The message being sent is clear. The American people want to keep their Obamacare, and if Democrats are smart, they will make healthcare a key component of their 2018 election strategy.
*Update: Obamacare signup expert Charles Gaba has the current sign up number at 11 million and counting, which is several million above the current official number:
11.6 million and counting: https://t.co/9ykaFAzI6v
— Charles GetCoveredBa (@charles_gaba) December 21, 2017
Gaba noted on his site, “It’s extremely unlikely that the total will equal last year’s 12.2 million (and there’s virtually zero chance of hitting the 12.7 million record hit two years ago), but 12 million could be feasible if the state exchanges really kick butt in their extended periods…and that would be extremely impressive given everything the Trump Administration and the Congressional GOP has thrown at the ACA this year.”
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
